Well, howdy neighbors! Fred Talley here from Faith Pest Control in Jasper, Georgia.

October is one of the prettiest times of year to live up here near Sharptop Mountain and Burnt Mountain. The air gets crisp, fire pits get fired up, and high school football is going strong. But right when you settle into your recliner late at night, that faint scritch-scritch-scritch sound starts echoing from your ceiling or behind the baseboards.

If you are hearing scurrying sounds in the dark, you are not imagining things. October marks the seasonal surge when field mice, deer mice, and roof rats pack their bags and head straight for North Georgia crawlspaces and attics.

Why does this happen so suddenly in October? Two things drive rodents inside: falling outdoor temperatures and shrinking food supplies. Once the hardwoods shed their foliage and wild seeds dry up, mice use their keen sense of smell to track the warm air currents wafting out of your home’s subfloor and attic vents.

Most homeowners ask me, “Fred, my doors and windows stay closed tight—how on earth are they getting inside?” The reality is that mice possess incredible physical flexibility. A full-grown field mouse can slip through an opening the size of a dime—just a quarter of an inch wide!

The most common entryways we uncover across Pickens County homes include:

Gaps around AC line sets: Where the insulated refrigerant lines enter the exterior siding, plumbers and HVAC techs often leave small gaps that mice treat as an open front door.

Foundation and crawlspace vents: Rusted vent screens, unlatched crawlspace access doors, or gaps beneath wooden sills allow rodents immediate access to warm subfloor insulation.

Rooflines and overhanging tree limbs: Tree branches touching gutters give mice, rats, and squirrels elevated bridges to bypass your foundation entirely and enter gable vents or roof joints.

Once inside, rodents pose serious risks. They gnaw on electrical wiring, shred fiberglass insulation to build nests, and leave unsanitary droppings. Standard foam spray from the hardware store will not stop them either; mice chew right through plain expanding foam. You have to back it with coarse stainless steel wool or hardware cloth to stop their teeth cold.

If you suspect uninvited four-legged guests have set up camp above your head or beneath your floors, do not let them multiply. Call me at Faith Pest Control at 770-823-9202. We will pinpoint the entry points, handle the pests, and keep your home protected.

Well, howdy neighbors! Fred Talley here with Faith Pest Control, right here in Jasper, Georgia.

Have you ever walked down into your basement or opened up your crawlspace door, flipped on the overhead light, and had a strange, spider-looking bug launch itself three feet in the air straight at your face? If your heart jumped up into your throat, you are not alone. You just met the infamous camel cricket—often called the cave cricket or “spricket.”

October is peak season for camel cricket complaints throughout Pickens, Gilmer, and Cherokee counties. Homeowners frequently call our office asking, “Fred, what are these jumping spider bugs, and why are there dozens of them in my basement all of a sudden?”

Camel crickets are wingless, humpbacked insects that thrive in dark, humid environments. During the summer, they live in damp woods, beneath rotting logs, and inside dense ground-cover mulch. But as October rolls in, dry autumn leaves fall, outdoor moisture drops, and nighttime temperatures tumble, driving them into humid crawlspaces, dark utility rooms, and damp foundation walls.

Unlike typical field crickets that chirp on summer nights, camel crickets do not produce any sound. Instead, they gather in silent, creepy clusters in dark corners. When they sense vibrations or light, their only defense mechanism is their powerful hind legs. They do not jump at you to bite; they jump blindly toward whatever startles them in an attempt to scare away predators!

While they do not carry venom or bite humans, a camel cricket infestation causes real problems:

Property damage: Camel crickets are scavengers. They will chew on stored cardboard boxes, fabrics, wallpaper, and carpets.

Attracting secondary predators: A thriving colony of camel crickets in your crawlspace serves as an all-you-can-eat buffet for mice, wolf spiders, and brown recluses.

High moisture indicators: If you have camel crickets, your crawlspace or basement has an elevated relative humidity issue that could also encourage mold and wood-destroying fungi.

Getting rid of them requires addressing crawlspace dampness by laying down proper vapor barriers and eliminating exterior hiding spots like wood piles resting against your foundation.

At Faith Pest Control, we conduct detailed crawlspace inspections to locate their breeding grounds, treat the perimeter safely, and keep them from taking over your storage areas. If you want your basement back, give me a call at 770-823-9202. We will take care of it with our 100% satisfaction guarantee!

Well, howdy neighbors! Fred Talley here from Faith Pest Control in Jasper, Georgia.

October brings that crisp mountain air rolling across Pickens County. The leaves are turning vibrant red and gold, local apple orchards in Ellijay are in full swing, and everyone is getting ready for cooler weather. But while we are enjoying sweaters and warm cider, every pest in the North Georgia woods is looking for a warm place to spend the winter.

October is the single most critical month of the year to insect-proof and rodent-proof your property. Taking a couple of hours this weekend to fortify your home stops bugs and critters before they move inside your insulated walls. Here is my practical, down-to-earth October pest-proofing checklist tailored specifically for our mountain homes:

1. Move the firewood away from the foundation: Firewood is essential up here in the foothills, but stacking logs directly against exterior walls creates an immediate sanctuary for mice, wood roaches, termites, and spiders. Elevate your firewood racks and keep them stacked at least 20 feet away from your foundation.

2. Inspect door sweeps and garage weatherstripping: Turn off the garage lights during the middle of the day. If you see daylight beaming in beneath your roll-up garage door or the exterior entryway doors, insects and mice can slip right through. Install heavy-duty rubber sweeps to seal those floor gaps tight.

3. Trim branches clear of the roofline: Cut back tree branches, shrubs, and ivy so they sit at least three to four feet away from your roof, gutters, and siding. Overhanging limbs serve as elevated superhighways for squirrels, roof rats, and carpenter ants.

4. Secure crawlspace vents and exterior pipe penetrations: Walk your home’s foundation line with a flashlight. Look for torn foundation screens or gaps around plumbing and AC conduits. Seal plumbing openings with coarse wire mesh or stainless steel wool paired with exterior-grade caulk.

5. Trade cardboard boxes for airtight plastic totes: Spiders and silverfish feed on the starch-based glues in cardboard boxes. Storing seasonal clothing and fall decorations in sealed plastic bins protects your belongings and denies pests a cozy nesting bed.

Living in the North Georgia mountains means living alongside wildlife, but that doesn’t mean sharing your kitchen and attic with them. At Faith Pest Control, we don’t cut corners or hand you vague all-day appointment windows. We show up on time, treat your home like our own, and back our work with an unmatched guarantee.

If you want a professional team to inspect your home and seal out pests before freezing temperatures arrive, give me a call today at 770-823-9202. Let’s keep those critters outside where they belong!